


The Prophecy

by KarenHardy



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Jackson Sister, Kidnapping, M/M, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Post-The Heroes of Olympus, Pre-The Trials of Apollo, Psychological Torture, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 02:45:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 7,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15330012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarenHardy/pseuds/KarenHardy
Summary: Poseidon's daughter shall never wake, The Sea God's son we shall take, And then shall his children meet their fate, Unless a child of death can their lives save, From each child's ruthless cage, One in the mind and one under the waves. (This story takes place after Blood of Olympus and I pretend that Beckendorf didn't die in the first series. Contains OC sister to Percy named Melody, don't like, don't read, don't hate, bitches.)





	1. Chapter 1

Melody had been stabbed. Plain and simple, Clarisse had stabbed her during a sparring match. Percy and Nico had carried her to the infirmary, where she had fallen unconscious. Will and the other medics ran around madly getting her fixed up and somewhere in the madness, Percy was gone. So Nico was left to care for his cousin, which in all honesty wasn't bad at all, because everyone knew he considered her his sister. He watched over her diligently as she slept. She tossed and turned for a while before waking to Nico's hand on her cheek.

Eyes closed she whispered, “Hi Neeks.”

Taken aback, he asked, “How'd you know it was me?”

“Your hands are colder than everyone else's.” She replied simply.

“Do you categorize everyone's hands or something?” He quipped.

“No, but some are really easy to recognize.”

“How so?”

She opened her eyes to answer.

“Well, yours are cold, Beckendorf’s are warm, Percy's smell like salt, Annabeth’s are smooth. You know. Simple things.”

“Ah.”

“Are you okay?” She asked him.

He threw his head back and laughed. A beautiful sound, but hearing it was few and far between for the scarce group allowed to hear it.

“You get stabbed by Clarisse and you're asking if  _ I'm _ alright?”

“You worry a lot.”

“True. But no, I'm fine.”

“How's Percy?”

“I'm actually not sure. He left when Will and his siblings were fixing you up. Just kinda disappeared.”

The conversation was halted by hearing a heated discussion in the infirmary doorway.

“I just want to talk to her!”

“For the Gods’ sakes Clarisse, you're the reason she's here!”

“Solace, if you don't let me through I swear you aren't gonna be a medic, you'll be a patient!”

“Clarisse!” Nico shouted, getting up from beside his cousin and striding to the doorway, practically ripping his Stygian iron sword out of its sheath at his side and leveling it at her, “What the Hades are  _ you _ doing here?!”

“I didn't mean to stab Jackson! Look at my sword, it shouldn't have even done anything!”

Nico recognized the hilt of the sword that had gone through his cousin’s abdomen, but Clarisse was right, it was a training sword, it shouldn't have been able to turn Melody into a shish kebab, especially considering she was wearing leather armor.

“I'll explain the situation to Melody, Clarisse. This  _ is _ strange.”

Clarisse nodded and Will sent her on her way. Following Nico back to Melody's bedside, where the daughter of Poseidon now lay sleeping again, Will sat down next to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“How are you feeling babe?” He asked, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend.

“Not good Will. How did Melody get so injured by  _ this _ ?” He held up the sword in frustration. “I would have sworn she was dying, Will.  _ Dying _ . Will, I'm scared for her.”

“It's gonna be okay babe. She’ll be fine.”

Nico leaned on the son of Apollo and held Melody's hand in his. Suddenly Melody sat bolt upright in bed and her eyes got wide.

“Mel?” Nico asked, “Are you okay?”

She turned her face towards him and he shuddered at the eerie grin she had as she stood. When she finally spoke, the words and voice were nothing like her.

“ _ Poseidon's daughter shall never wake _

_ The Sea God’s son we shall take _

_ And then shall his children meet their fate _

_ Unless a child of death can their lives save _

_ From each child’s ruthless cage _

_ One in the mind and one under the waves _ .”

Then she collapsed.


	2. Chapter 2

“Melody!” Nico cried, frantically shaking her, “Mel, wake up! Please wake up!”

Will put a comforting hand on Nico's shoulder.

“Nico-" He tried.

“Help me, Will! Help me wake her!”

“Neeks, we can't. You heard what it said, ‘ _ Poseidon's daughter shall never wake _ ’.”

“No! She will!”

He continued to furiously shake his cousin until Will pulled him back. The distraught son of Hades sobbed into the calm son of Apollo's shirt.

“We'll find a way,” Will soothed, rubbing soft, calming, circles on his boyfriend’s back, “Don't worry. We're going to fix this, Neeks. I promise. We’re gonna fix it.”

“Nico…” Melody breathed.

“Mel?” He asked hopefully, pulling back from Will and turning towards her.

“Nico…” She repeated. “Nico?”

He smiled. She was asking for him, so he picked her up and placed her back on the bed, gently stroking her cheek. His smile faded as she started to thrash and cry out.

“Nico!” She screamed, “No! Percy! Leave them alone! Stop! Leave them be! It's me you want! No! Nico! Let him go!”

Any calmness Will had instilled in Nico disappeared as the boy became just as frantic as before, shaking his cousin desperately.

“I'm here! It's okay! Melody please listen to me! I'm okay!”

“I doubt she can hear you, Neeks,” said Will sadly.

“She has to, Will! She has to wake up!”

“Neeks, stop and think before we forget, it could be important to helping Melody. What did she say before she collapsed? I can only remember the first line.”

That wasn't true, Will remembered the whole thing, but he needed to distract the son of Hades from his cousin.

“Um. She said, ‘ _ Poseidon's daughter shall never wake _ ’,” he began, “Which is her and this nightmare I can't wake her from.”

“Then what?” Will urged, writing down the first line to take to Chiron.

“Next was, ‘ _ the Sea God’s son we shall take _ ’, which I know is definitely Percy. Remember how he disappeared when you guys were fixing up Melody? He barely leaves her side when she's healthy, let alone hurt.”

“Uh-huh.” Will nodded.

“After that was, ‘ _ and then shall his children meet their fate _ ’, which must be what's happening to them happening, and ‘ _ unless a child of death can their lives save _ ’, which means either me or Hazel has to save them, although I doubt it's referring to Hazel because she's more attuned to Pluto's riches side.”

“Good, and then?”

“Then there was, ‘ _ from each child’s ruthless cage _ ’, and  _ ‘one in the mind and one under the waves _ ’. So ' _ one in the mind _ ’ must be Melody's never-ending nightmare, and ' _ one under the waves _ ’ must mean Percy is somewhere underwater.”

“Let's take this information to Chiron. I'll tell one of my siblings to watch over Melody specifically, so she doesn't hurt herself.”

Nico glanced at his cousin and flinched when another scream and the name of her brother flew from her lips, followed by more pleas and his own name.

“Are you sure they can handle the screaming?” He asked quietly.

“If they can bear to listen to me sing in the shower,” said Will, pecking Nico's cheek, “They can stand Melody's screams, babe. Let's go to Chiron.”


	3. Chapter 3

Percy Jackson awoke in the most uncomfortable position.

“ _ Where am I? _ ” He thought.

He could tell he was underwater, but he was breathing just fine. He  _ was _ a son of Poseidon after all. But he still had no idea where the Hades he was. Where he remembered last being, was in the infirmary waiting for Will and the other children of Apollo to fix his sister. Melody! That was right! She'd been stabbed! He had to get out of this… What was this thing? It felt like he was in some kind of cramped aquarium. He didn't like the idea. He had once been caught in an aquarium with his sister and their friend/descendant Frank. They ended up breaking out, but he still wasn't fond of reliving the experience. Upon hearing footsteps, Percy's thoughts were replaced by “ _ Who is that? And how can they make audible footsteps underwater? _ ”

He knew Annabeth would have the answer, but only the Gods almighty would know when or even  _ if _ he'll see her again. He waited patiently for whoever it was to round the corner. If he wasn't a son of Poseidon, it wouldn't have been possible for his breath to catch in his chest.

“Hello Percy Jackson. Thought you got rid of me?”

“I-I- We did!” Percy cried.

How was this possible? He and his father had defeated Polybotes, together! Surely that should have been enough to stop him coming back for a while. But here he was, plain as day.

“Well, I'm back. Back to ruin the lives of you, your sister, and that puny father of yours.”

“My father is more powerful than you!”

Polybotes chuckled. “Oh yeah?”

The way he said that made Percy uncertain, but no way in Hades was he going to give Polybotes the satisfaction of knowing that, so he answered as calmly as he could, “Yes.”

“Then why isn't he helping Nico di Angelo wake your sister? Hmm?”

“Wake my sister?” Percy asked.

“Oh, that's right. We took you before you could see what we'd done. Here.”

Polybotes turned the little aquarium around, and displayed a rather large image. It looked like an Iris message, but not quite. He saw his cousin Nico at his sister's bedside with Will Solace.

“I would have sworn she was dying, Will.  _ Dying _ . Will, I'm scared for her.”

Percy had been worried about her too, but he'd been taken before he could help.

“It's gonna be okay babe. She’ll be fine.”

He watched Nico lean on the son of Apollo while keeping Melody's hand in his. Suddenly Melody sat bolt upright in bed and her eyes got wide.

“Mel?” Nico asked, “Are you okay?”

She turned her face towards Nico and Percy shuddered with his cousin at the eerie grin she had as she stood. When she finally spoke, the words and voice were echoey and hollow.

“ _ Poseidon's daughter shall never wake _

_ The Sea God’s son we shall take _

_ And then shall his children meet their fate _

_ Unless a child of death can their lives save _

_ From each child’s ruthless cage _

_ One in the mind and one under the waves _ .”

Percy watched in horror as his sister fell to the ground.

“Melody!” Nico cried, frantically shaking her, “Mel, wake up! Please wake up!”

Will put a comforting hand on Nico's shoulder.

“Nico-" He tried.

“Help me, Will! Help me wake her!”

“Neeks, we can't. You heard what it said, ‘ _ Poseidon's daughter shall never wake _ ’.”

Percy was confused that Will had called Melody an 'it’.

“No! She will!”

Nico continued to furiously shake Melody until Will pulled him back. The distraught son of Hades sobbed into the calm son of Apollo's shirt.

“We'll find a way,” Will soothed, rubbing soft, calming, circles on Percy's cousin’s back, “Don't worry. We're going to fix this, Neeks. I promise. We’re gonna fix it.”

“Nico…” Melody breathed.

Percy looked closely at the image. She was asking for Nico. Why? He knew they were close, but as close as she and him were?

“Mel?” Nico asked hopefully, pulling back from Will and turning towards her.

“Nico…” She repeated. “Nico?”

Percy watched intently. Nico smiled. Melody was asking for him, so he picked her up and placed her back on the bed, gently stroking her cheek. His smile faded instantly when she started to thrash and cry out. Percy pressed his hands against the glass and leaned towards the image.

“Nico!” Melody screamed, “No! Percy! Leave them alone! Stop! Leave them be! It's me you want! No! Nico! Let him go!”

“Melody!” Percy yelled.

The image faded and left Percy banging on the glass with his fists, trying in vain to get through to his sister.

“What did you do?!” He shouted at his captor.

Polybotes smiled at him condescendingly.

“Wouldn't you like to know?” He sneered, “But your fate will be different than hers. She is trapped in her own mind. Lost in a never-ending nightmare where everyone she loves is tortured, and she can do nothing about it.”

Percy glared at Polybotes.

“You, you I have a different plan for.”

“Oh, and what is  _ that _ , pray tell?”

“I told you before, when we met. Every day the water will heal you, and every day I will bring you closer to death.”

“And how do you intend to do that?”

“You will see Percy Jackson. You will see.”

And with that his world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

When he woke up for the second time, he was chained to a wall instead of in the tiny aquarium. Still underwater, he could tell. Breathing water was different than breathing air. He felt weak, like his power was waning, not getting stronger, from the sea water. Also, don't ask. He just knew. It was seawater.

“Good, Percy Jackson. You're awake. How are you feeling?”

The question was phrased like a taunt, and Percy stayed stonily silent.

“It doesn't matter. I'll get something out of you soon enough.”

“What's that supposed to mean, big ugly?”

As the words left his mouth he knew he shouldn't have said them. He just couldn't help himself. He was so frustrated. Here he was in his best element, but he was weak. Maybe Polybotes was doing something to make him doubt himself. He couldn't quite understand. Polybotes turned and smacked Percy hard across the face.

“Patience, Jackson.”

“Patience for what?”

“Silence!”

“Patience for silence?”

Polybotes smacked him again, if possible, harder.

“Be quiet you puny son of Poseidon!”

Percy smiled slightly when Polybotes turned his back to him. He may be a prisoner, but he was not fond of being a compliant one. He would resist and resist until he got out of here. Which he  _ would _ get out of here. He just wasn't sure how yet. He hid his small smile, (which wasn't very hard once he saw Polybotes’ face), as Polybotes turned back around, a ball of a swirling dark liquid in his hand. As Polybotes strode towards him, he had trouble hiding his emotions, (them now being feelings of fear and dread because he wasn't feeling as confident now), and put on as calm a face as he could muster.

“Want to know what this is, Percy Jackson? Or do you want to  _ feel _ it first?”

Percy again remained silent, praying to all the gods he could name, even Hera and Ares, (Gods he hated those two), that he would not react. That he could keep his pain from showing and giving Polybotes the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Unfortunately, it seemed to Percy that they either weren't listening today, or they just didn't care, (it didn't take a child of Athena to know which two, possibly three, counting Athena herself, that would tune him out). As soon as the dark liquid touched Percy, he writhed in pain, crying out. It burned. Percy didn't even know that fire could exist underwater, but then he thought back to his first quest, during a little stop at the St. Louis Arch. He’d ended up in the Mississippi River and discovered that he could stay dry and breathe underwater, and he had managed to get a lighter that'd been floating by to actually produce a flame. Thinking back on the lighter reminded him that anything was possible for a son of Poseidon underwater. Although none of the 'happy’ memories of his first quest were helping him cope with the sizzling pain all over his body. Before the pain became too much, Percy managed one last silent prayer.

“ _ Father, please, help us. _ ”


	5. Chapter 5

Nico felt sick. Sick to his stomach. He felt like vomiting as he and his boyfriend made their way from the infirmary to the Big House.

“Chiron?” Will asked, when they were finally face to face with the centaur.

“Hello Will, Nico.”

“Hi Chiron,” Nico mumbled.

Of course the elderly centaur caught on to Nico's discomfort instantly.

“What ails you Nico?” He asked, “Is it Melody? I heard that she got hurt sparring. Surely she’s healed by now. Your boyfriend is one of the greatest healers here.”

“Well he did heal her sparring wound, but something else is wrong.”

“Yes, I heard. She's having some kind of unwakeable nightmare.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you asked Clovis for help?”

“Not yet sir,” Will admitted, “But there's more.”

“Well, spit it out.”

“She gave a sort of prophecy,” Will conceded, “Nico?”

Nico sighed and recited the prophecy again.

“Interesting,” Chiron muttered, “I take it you’ve deciphered it?”

“Yes,” Nico confirmed, “We think so, at least. We think ‘ _ Poseidon's daughter shall never wake _ ’ is her and this nightmare she won't wake up from. ' _ The Sea God’s son we shall take _ ’, is Percy being kidnapped because no one's seen hide nor hare of him since he and I brought Melody to Will. ‘ _ And then shall his children meet their fate _ ’ which is what's happening to them happening.”

At this point Will took over for Nico.

“We think that ' _ unless a child of death can their lives save _ ’, means either Nico or Hazel has to save them, although we had our doubts about it referring to Hazel because she's more centric on riches than death, being Roman.”

“Good deduction.”

“Then the last lines were, ‘ _ from each child’s ruthless cage _ ’, and ‘ _ one in the mind and one under the waves _ ’. ' _ One in the mind _ ’ is Melody's never-ending nightmare, and ' _ one under the waves _ ’ is hinting that Percy is somewhere underwater,” Will finished, “Those are our guesses.”

“And good guesses they are. I suggest you ask for assistance from Clovis. He  _ is _ a son of Hypnos. He could possibly help you with a problem in his father's domain.”

“Thanks for the advice Chiron,” said Will, “We’ll consult him as soon as he’s available. Or more accurately, now.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Clovis!”

Will Solace pounded on the door of the Hypnos Cabin.

“Clovis! Get up and open the door!”

“Coming… Coming…” a tired voice replied.

The door swung open, revealing Clovis standing there, rubbing his eyes.

“Will? Nico? What're you doing here?”

It seemed every word was punctuated with a yawn.

"We need you to come with us to the infirmary.”

“Okay… Why?”

“We need your help with Melody Jackson. She's trapped in some kind of never-ending nightmare and we can't wake her up.”

“Nightmares? Okie dokie… Let's go…”

“Follow us.”

About halfway to the infirmary Nico, who was ahead of Clovis and Will (who was pushing Clovis along and making sure he didn't fall asleep) was stopped by a fuming Annabeth.

“Nico I-don’t-know-or-care-what-your-middle-name-is Di Angelo!”

“What do you want Annabeth? I'm busy.”

“I want to know where my boyfriend is!”

“I don't know. We're working on it.”

“Working on it?!”

“Yes, Annabeth, we're working on it. Now move.”

“I will not! Are you kidding me?! 'Working on it’?!”

Nico pushed past her and continued to the infirmary.

“Di Angelo!”

“Get back to me when you've calmed down, Annabeth.” He snapped, leaving her shell shocked in place.

When Nico, Will, and Clovis reached the infirmary they paused for a microsecond, taking in the silence, before Nico took off running for the room where they'd left Melody.

“Will! C'mon!” He shouted.

The son of Hades ran towards his cousin’s bed only to find her, not awake, as he had hoped, but peacefully sleeping.

“H-how?” Nico stuttered, looking up at Kayla, Will’s sister.

“We sedated her. She's in a sort of dreamless sleep now. Although you're just in time if you want to do something. The sedative should be wearing off soon.”

Just as Kayla said this, Melody started to stir. 

“Tyson…” She whined.

“Tyson?” Nico echoed, befuddled, “Who all is in this dream?”

“So far we've heard your name, Percy’s, Tyson’s, and we've even heard her scream for her mother and someone named Paul a few times,” Kayla informed him.

“Sally and Paul?” Nico whispered.

“Who's Sally and Paul?” Clovis inquired, finally walking in, Will on his heels.

“Sally is Percy and Melody's mom and Paul is their step dad.” Will replied.

“Okay… So uh… Why did you need me?” Clovis asked.

“I want you to bind me to her dream.” Nico declared.

“You want what?!” Clovis exclaimed.

Clovis was rarely this awake.

“I want you to bind me to her dream.” Nico repeated.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay… But first, you have to know. In order for her to wake up, you can't just say, ‘You're dreaming’ and expect her to immediately arise. You need to convince her to envision the place she really is. Then she can break through the illusion. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Also, Will, catch him.”

Nico watched as the world around him faded in and out and warped and changed. When his vision cleared, Nico knew where he was. He was in Melody's dream world.


	7. Chapter 7

Percy was tired. And lonely. He had been thinking about his family again, and those long brooding periods of introspection usually led to him becoming lost so deeply in a memory it felt like he was there again. It had happened again.

He was ten this time. The still fresh bruises on his body told him he had recently been in a tussle with Gabe. He was in the small room he had formerly shared with his sister and she sat on the cot across from him. She too was bruised. Their past with Gabe had not been a good one, but they’d had each other and their mom. He reflexively smiled at her and she grinned back.

“We really gave it to him that time didn't we?”

She was snickering now, but he couldn't remember this particular time. Luckily he didn't have to. Himself in the memory answered for him.

“Yeah. I never thought we could take him on. It should be enough to cover us for a little while at least.”

“Yep. At least, I hope so.” She looked down at her scabbed knee, then back at him. “Percy?” She asked.

“Yeah?”

“Can you promise me something?”

“What?”

“Promise me that no how old we get, we’ll always be there for each other? Through thick and thin. Even when we're adults and have families?”

Percy remembered this now.

“Of course sis. Always. No one could ever come between us, not even us.”

The memory faded out at that point, but he didn't mind. He thought about other things then. He thought about his mom and Paul. He hoped they were happy and oblivious to his and his sister's predicaments. And even if they weren't, he  _ really _ hoped he hadn't told Edie. Edie. He thought about her too. His little half sister. Paul had married his mom shortly before Percy and Beckendorf had left to take down the Princess Andromeda and little Edie had been born not long after. He and Mel loved the little girl to bits. She adored them and she’d even visited camp in between the wars. It seemed like she charmed everyone who met her. They'd even joked about Paul being a son of Hecate and passing on some kind of magical gene to her. The twins loved Paul like a second father. He was a good step father, the complete opposite of Gabe. He was loving and kind and was understanding when crazy demigod things came up and the twins couldn't do something or other. At this point, Percy just wished he could go home


	8. Chapter 8

Pain. The one and only thing registering for Percy Jackson lately. Sheer and utter agony. Whenever a thought began to enter his mind it was drowned out by the sensations all over his body. Pain like white hot burning. Agony like a thousand sharp knives. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe.

And when it stopped, oh the blessed moments when it stopped, he would pray with every fiber in his body that it was over. Hoping against hope. Mentally crying out for help from every god and goddess he could name over and over. Even a few of the Egyptian ones that Carter'd told him about whose names he still remarkably remembered.

He’d been left alone for the last few minutes, relishing a break from the pain. He knew it probably meant Polybotes was coming up with a plan of more ways to torture him, but he could only pray his sister was getting better and that he himself wasn't going to die. His thoughts drifted to Annabeth and he vaguely wondered if she would be okay if he died. He wouldn't say he was a jealous boyfriend, (even though he knew he was), but he wondered if she would move on without him, and how soon. He thought about his family, his mom, Paul, Melody, Edie, Tyson, Nico, Hazel, Jason, Hades even Thalia crossed his mind. He thought about how much he'd miss them. How much every one of them meant to him. He wondered that if he should die they would forgive him and move on with their lives. His mother and sisters for leaving them. Tyson for not calling him brother for so long. Nico for not protecting Bianca. Hazel for not giving in to go help Nico in Rome on the Argo 2.

He wondered if anyone would even think about him in a few years time.

He had been trying not think like that, but his resolve was wavering under the pain. There were some people he knew could care less, but some he wondered how much he mattered to. He knew Clarisse wouldn't care but he thought about things like, how would Reyna react? How long would it be before Grover knew? He just didn't know. He decided to let pain be the thing to awaken him and drifted off into as peaceful a slumber as he could manage.


	9. Chapter 9

Nico stood frozen, looking around at Melody's dream world. It was a dark cavern, and about hundred feet from where Nico stood, was Melody. She looked horrible. He tried to remind himself it was only a dream, but his heart ached for his cousin. She was chained to the wall sobbing. He looked around more closely and saw the source of her tears. Just beyond her reach lay a possibly dead Tyson. The big cuddly cyclops looked as if he'd just been beaten within an inch of his life, and no doubt in Melody's eyes he probably had been. Nico creeped closer to Melody, keeping in the shadows, hoping against hope he wouldn't be seen by whoever her 'captor’ was.

“Mel.” He whisper shouted. “Mel. Melody.”

She looked up, surprised. Her head whipped around, as if searching for him. When she locked eyes with him, she almost started crying again. He held a finger to his lips. She became solemn and silent. He crept up to her and shook her sharply by the shoulders.

“What are you doing?” She stage whispered. “How are you here? He took you away ages ago and you looked awful…”

“You're dreaming.”

“What?” She scoffed. “I wish.”

“You're dreaming. You need to wake up, your life depends on it.”

“Nico… did you hit your head? Or get hit in the head? 'Cause I think you're delirious.”

“Melody. Listen to me. You. Are. Dreaming. And you need to wake up.”

“Alright… you obviously hit your head or got hit in the head pretty hard, so I'll bite if it'll make you feel better. What do I do to wake up?”

“Clovis said to envision the place you're actually in. Picture the infirmary. What it looks like, what it sounds like there, everything you can.”

“Okay…”

She closed her eyes and did as he had bidden her. She pictured the infirmary as she usually saw it. After awhile the vision started to change slightly. She wasn't standing by a bedside watching Will and Nico, she was in the bed, Clovis and Will were sitting in chairs beside her, Nico in Will's arms, only half awake. As she reached out to him, the wall of illusion shattered and what was in front of her became real. She was awake.


	10. Chapter 10

“What's going on?” Melody asked.

It took a minute for Nico to realize that Melody was the one who’d asked, because he was still a little groggy himself, but when he did, he leapt out of Will's arms and embraced her.

“You're okay.” He whispered. “Thank the Gods, you're okay.”

“Yeah.” She replied. “What's going on?”

“Well you've been out cold for a while.” Will told her. He then stood and smacked Nico’s arm.

“What was that for?”

“You were in her dream world for two weeks. Two weeks Nico!”

Two weeks. He didn't think they'd been out  _ that _ long. It hadn't seemed very long in the dream world…

“Sorry babe.” Nico shrugged, “I had no idea. Apparently in a horror dream world, time moves differently.”

“Uh huh. Still mad.”

“And that's okay,” Melody intervened, “But what else went on?”

“Percy's been missing for as long as you’ve been in the infirmary,” Will continued, “And we've had no luck finding him-”

“What?” Melody interrupted. “Two weeks and nothing?”

“Nothing but your prophecy.” Will confirmed.

“My prophecy?” She asked.

“Apparently you don't remember. While asleep, you spouted a prophecy. Something about you and Percy, and Nico having to save you.”

“Okay… So how do we find Percy?”

“We're working on it. Well… more like Annabeth's got cabin six working on it. C’mon. It’s just easier to show you.”


	11. Chapter 11

Percy knew he was getting weaker. That much was evident. He didn't know how, or how long it would take, but he definitely needed help. He'd prayed to every god repeatedly, but he might as well be in Alaska for all the help he was getting.

“Good afternoon, son of Poseidon. How are we today?”

Percy glared. He knew his big mouth and his short temper would get him nowhere.

“At least you are smart enough to hold your tongue.”

Again Percy opted for silence.

“I thought you would like to know the daughter of Athena is going insane looking for you.”

Percy bit the inside of his cheek. So Annabeth  _ was _ looking for him. Of course she was. But it was stressful for her. That much didn't surprise him. He felt a pang of guilt realizing she'd probably been like that when Hera had wiped his memory and sent him to Camp Jupiter.

“Ready for today, Percy Jackson?”

Percy was snapped from his reverie, knowing he would need to switch to mentally preparing himself for the pain.

“I sometimes wonder why I ask. You never answer. Oh well. Get ready, Percy Jackson.”

Percy knew it was coming, but truly nothing could make him ready for the pain. He tried to focus on anything-  _ everything _ else. Annabeth’s calculating grey eyes, Melody’s long black hair, Thalia’s ridiculously big ego, Jason's help subduing Polybotes during the Argo 2 trip, Hazel’s entertainingly limited knowledge of the modern world, the smell of the cabin at Montauk, his mother’s smile and how Paul brought it out, the way Edie giggled adorably as he tickled her, blue cookies fresh from the oven, the cold of the canoe lake at Camp Half-Blood when he and Annabeth had been thrown in, the perfect texture of the walls in his cabin, Blackjack’s-

He blacked out.


	12. Chapter 12

This was unlike any blackout he'd had since being captured by Polybotes. This time, he dreamed. His immediate response was to try and use his empathy link to contact Grover. When that didn't work, he tried to find the Hypnos cabin. Luckily for him, that worked. Clovis wasn't there, which Percy found strange. Clovis liked getting up about as much as Nico liked socializing. However, there was another Hypnos camper there, from whom Percy gleaned a little information.

  1. His sister was asleep still
  2. Annabeth had all of cabin six working on finding him
  3. Clovis was due back whenever Melody woke up
  4. Annabeth would probably judo flip him again when they found him (That one was an inference)



These were all things he could deal with. (Except maybe the judo flip. He remembered that from New Rome. It hurt!)

He wondered if there was any way for him to message Annabeth, or anybody else, after he woke up. He would have to work on that. For now he told the Hypnos camper to tell Clovis to tell Camp that he was alive and captured by Polybotes. (Maybe he should have worded that better… oh well, it got the message across… Although it may never make it to camp...) The camper said they would, but Percy was healthily skeptical. He told them to write it down and put it on the door of the cabin. He felt the dream start to shift and told the camper to do it immediately. He watched them get up and grab some paper just as his vision blurred and changed, sending him into an all too familiar sense of black oblivion.


	13. Chapter 13

“Annabeth?” Will called, knocking on the door of cabin six, “Annabeth? Malcolm? Either of you in there?”

“Just a minute!” Annabeth's words floated back, tired and anxious.

“I got it Annie!” Malcolm Pace's disembodied voice assured her.

Something that sounded remarkably like an office chair rolling across the floor was heard and the door was opened just in time for Nico di Angelo, Melody Jackson, and Will Solace to see Malcolm Pace's rolling chair heading abnormally quickly back to his desk.

“Welcome to command central,” Will joked.

Nico and Melody stood dumbfounded. Cabin six looked completely different than either of them had ever seen it. Books and scrolls covered the desks so completely you couldn't see a thing unless, apparently, you were Annabeth or Malcolm, and the books on the shelves were leaning slightly, as if they would topple over, because so many had been removed for research that practically nothing was keeping the rest up. Annabeth looked ragged and one could even go as far as to say slightly deranged, the dark circles under her eyes were extremely prominent and she looked up as they walked in. She leapt out of her seat and squealed in delight upon seeing Melody, running too her and hugging her, nearly knocking her over.

“Have you found him? Have you? Please?! Tell me you have!”

“No Annabeth, we haven't found him,” Will informed her, “But it'll be easier to find him with Melody awake.”

“Okay. I knew that,” Annabeth agreed, “How?”

“Malcolm, you've been working on that tracker, right?”

“Yeah, but to find him I'd need a DNA sample.”

“What kind?” Melody asked.

“Well, any would work.”

“Anything?” Melody clarified.

“Yeah, just about.”

“How about a hair?” She asked again, pulling a strand from her own head.

“I'd need something distinctly yours or distinctly his as well, or it will lead me to you instead of him, since you'll be closer to the device.”

“Like what?”

“The only things that would work be blood or-” He stopped.

“Or?” Will pressed.

“Urine…” Malcolm admitted slowly, making everyone wrinkle their noses in disgust, “But that's kinda awkward and weird. So we should probably use blood.”

“Agreed.” Melody chirped. “How do we get started?”

“Well,” Malcolm began, “Firstly I need Will to draw some blood from you.”

Melody gulped.

“Like with a needle?” She asked.

“Don't worry,” said Will, placing a calming hand on her arm. “We have an old blood sample of yours in the infirmary, so we can save it for if you need extra blood sometime and there's no available donor at the time.”

She relaxed immensely.

“We’ll use that.”

“Sure.”

Annabeth's eyes took on her signature determined, ‘I-have-a-plan’ look.

“Let’s do this.”


	14. Chapter 14

After the sample was obtained and added to Malcolm's contraption, and Melody acquired an method for the three non-children of Poseidon to breathe underwater from her father, Malcolm gave Annabeth the tracker and some supplies and wished the group luck. After the parting instructions of, “If we're not back in three days, you can go berserk, but try not to for that long,” were given to the Athena and Apollo cabins, one daughter of Athena and one daughter of Poseidon, one son of Hades and one son of Apollo headed in the direction of the signal.

“Are we there yet?” Nico teased.

The girls glared at him, Annabeth's serious and Melody’s playful, and Will elbowed him in the ribs.

“Hey!” Nico grumbled, “Sure, gang up on the youngest.”

Melody scoffed.

“Neeks, you're older than all three of us put together.”

“Well I look like the youngest.”

“Granted.”

“Shhhh!” Annabeth interrupted, “The signal is close. We're here.”

The group stopped outside a large mouthed cave that sloped downward into the surf. The water slopped down into it, getting deeper and darker as it went.

“Okay then. Do you guys have the stuff my dad gave you?”

The group nodded.

“What do we do?” Will asked.

“Take the green slime stuff and smear it on both sides of your neck. It attaches itself and forms gills. Then take the blue bubble thing and put it over your mouth and nose. That stops you from breathing in the water that way and drowning.”

The other three did so, and then followed the dark haired daughter of Poseidon down. As they got deeper and the tunnel got darker Will swam over to Melody and pulled a glow stick from the waterproof bag she had on her back, he cracked and shook it, providing light for the group. They swam in silence for a while longer, Nico secretly thankful for the swimming lessons the twins had given him.

“How much further?” Melody asked Annabeth.

Annabeth handed her the device and pointed to the screen.

“We're close, then.” Melody announced. “Let's get my brother. Will, put the light back in my bag. I see something up ahead.”

The blonde did as he was told, plunging them back into near darkness, the only light left being the faint glow of the tracker's screen and a small hole dead ahead. Melody swam up closest to the opening and peeked out, making sure not to be seen by anyone on the other side. Her brother was chained to the wall, the water slowly making his obvious wounds fade. Her blood boiled as she looked at his face. He looked lost, and he'd lost the stubborn fighting look he always seemed to have behind his eyes. Currently, he was just barely waking up.

“ _ Well _ ,” she thought, “ _ We'll just have to wake him up the rest of the way. _ ”


	15. Chapter 15

As Percy awoke, he was groggy and disoriented. Taking in his surroundings, he found himself alone. Of course he was. It wasn't like Polybotes had left him company or anything. His eyes scanned the room absentmindedly and ended up resting on the large hallway Polybotes used to get in and out of the place. He wondered how long it would take for Polybotes to return. Foolishly, he hoped that maybe Polybotes wouldn't return. That maybe he would be rescued.

“ _ Stop being stupid _ .” He told himself. “ _ Don't get your hopes too high _ .”

He knew he would probably have to find a way out of there on his own. Or so he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted some movement in a hole in the wall and he swore he saw a pair of emerald green eyes dart out of sight. He put it down to drowsiness. There was no way. Was there? He looked again and his jaw dropped. There was his sister, swimming through the opening, followed by-

“Nico?! Annabeth?!! Will!”

“Shhh!” Melody stage whispered, having swam to his side, “Nico, can you get the lock pick from my backpack? I'm having trouble controlling this water.”

He nodded, pulling out the small piece of metal and handing it to her.

“Something isn't right with this water,” Percy told her quietly, “That's probably why you can't use it.”

“Oh well.”

“How are they not dead?” Percy asked, gesturing with his now free left hand at his girlfriend, cousin, and cousin's boyfriend, “Not that I want them to be, but-”

“I got something from dad,” She replied. She had freed his right hand and was now working on his feet. “Don't worry about it. Let's just get out of here.”

“That sounds suspiciously like I should worry about it.”

“It's really inconsequential.” His sister assured him, “That is- if we're not down here longer than eight hours.”

“How long have you been down here?”

“Maybe three hours?” Melody shrugged. “It probably felt like longer than it was.”

She gave Annabeth a look, and the blonde tapped a watch on her wrist, then held up one straight finger and one bent.

“An hour and a half?” Percy clarified, swimming towards her as soon as Melody had freed him.

Annabeth nodded, reaching out and taking his hands.

“We've got to go,” Melody reminded them, “You two can swim together, but the hugs and kisses kind of reunion can wait.”

Percy and Annabeth nodded and followed her, Will, and Nico out the small hole the group entered from. The trip back was made in silence and when they breached the surface, the gel and bubbles fell away, leaving Nico, Annabeth, and Will gasping for air. Melody congratulated them for how well they did underwater.

“That stuff was nasty, Mel,” Nico complained, “What did your dad give you?!”

“It's nice to be able to talk again,” said Will, diverting the course of the conversation. He did  **not** want to know what that stuff was.

“Yeah. It is.” Annabeth agreed quietly, her head resting on Percy's shoulder, hands entwined. 

He smiled at her.

“Let's go home.”


	16. Chapter 16

Camp Half Blood welcomed them back with open (and elated) arms, and Percy found that more people would have missed him than he thought. Malcolm had discovered that the Jacksons’ captors had been drawing from the children of Poseidon’s life forces through analyzing Melody’s samples, and now that they were free, Melody from her dream, and Percy from his actual prison, the ones who had kept them prisoner would crumble away.

“Glad you're not dead, Jacksons.” Clarisse commented, “Who would I tease if you kicked it?”

“I'm sure you would have survived.” Percy replied, smiling.

Dinner that night was a celebration, complete with guests from all over, and special permissions were granted, (much to the cleaning harpies’ chagrin) for cabin three to be a little fuller than usual.

One daughter and one son of Poseidon lay fast asleep in the center of their cabin, many mattresses pulled from the beds to the floor where the twins slept surrounded by family and friends, safe and sound. Nico slept beside Melody, his head on her chest, her hand in his hair, and Percy and Annabeth laid, hands entwined, cuddled as close as they dared, Percy under the blanket and Annabeth above it. Jason and Piper mirrored Percy and Annabeth’s position, though their mattress was closer to the door, and Hazel slept quiet as a mouse on a mattress just above the twins’, Frank across her legs in the form of a dog, his head resting on his paws. Sally Blofis, formerly Jackson, laid on one of the bunks that’s mattress hadn’t been removed, Paul on one across from her. Little Ediline Blofis lay between Percy’s back and Melody’s side, snuggled into her half sister.

* * *

“Mewodee,” Edie mumbled, “Mewodee.”

“What is it, sugarfish?” Melody asked the girl, only barely awake, but still able to conjure up the nickname she had given her little half sister. Percy insisted that his nickname of 'fairyfish' was better. Edie refused to pick, nor did she really care, so neither of the Jacksons bothered to change.

“Are you and Pwercy safe now?”

“Yes, sugarfish.” Melody assured her.

“Pwomise?” The little girl questioned, still not satisfied.

“I promise, sugarfish.”

“Nico make sure you stay?”

“Yes, sugarfish.”

“And you no get hurt no more?”

“We won’t get hurt anymore, that’s right, sugarfish.”

“Even by youses bad daddy?” Edie asked.

Melody froze.

“What and how do you know about Percy and I’s ‘bad daddy’, Edie?”

“I heard you and Pwercy talking to daddy about it. You said you got hurted and told daddy not to get you hurted again and not to make mommy hurted neither, specially a’cause of me.”

“Edie, you weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“I’m sowwy.”

Melody sighed.

“It’s not your fault, sugarfish. Percy and I should have spoken to Paul somewhere more private than the kitchen.”

“Am I in twouble?”

“No, sugarfish.”

“Okay. I still sowwy. Nighty night.”

“Night, sugarfish.”

Edie snuggled into Melody’s side again and the two went back to sleep, unaware of the shock on Nico’s face. He’d awoken when his cousin had adjusted her position so she could address her sister and listened in. Stifling any comments that would reawaken the two girls, Nico went back to sleep, listening to the steady, rhythmic heartbeat of his cousin, at the very least glad to see her asleep and not afraid.

* * *

Percy awoke in the early morning as the multicolored light from the dawn streamed through the window to find that Annabeth was awake and her grey eyes were looking up from where her golden locks framed her face, her head on his chest.

“What’re you thinking?” He asked.

“Will there ever be a time I won’t live in the cold shadow of the paralysing fear of losing you?”

“I honestly don’t know, Annabeth.”

“Will I always have to rescue you?”

“Maybe. But Annabeth, I really don’t know.”

“Well Percy, I want to ask you something. And it’s important.”

“Okay, what?”

“Now I want you to keep in mind that we’ve been dating for three years.”

“Yeah?”

“And this is a little unconventional.”

“Very little about our lives isn’t.”

“I would like to ask you, if…”

“If?” Percy pressed.

“Any I know we’re only nineteen-”

“What is it Annabeth?”

“Will you marry me?” She blurted.

The grey eyes of the daughter of Athena were squeezed shut tightly, and the ocean green eyes of the son of Poseidon were wide open. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder and chuckled.

“You couldn’t have waited just one more month, Wise Girl?” He joked.

“W-what?” Annabeth stuttered.

“I was going to propose next month.” Percy clarified. “When we left for New Rome.”

Annabeth smiled, relieved.

“I love you, Wise Girl, and I intend to stay with you for the rest of my life. You never have to worry about losing me in that sense. And I’ll love you forever.”

“Can you promise me I’ll be the only girl you’ll ever love?”

“That I can’t promise,” he said, grinning as her face fell, “My mom and Mel and Edie have claimed most of my heart.”

“Jackson!” She squealed, almost waking everyone else, “Not funny.”

She leaned forward and kissed him, their face splitting smiles making it even better.

“Sorry.”

“Go back to bed, Seaweed Brain.”

“Goodnight, Wise Girl. I love you.”

“It’s morning, but I love you too, Seaweed Brain.”


End file.
